Amazon will no longer sell donkey skin gelatin to California residents. TO report published on Wednesday by cabling claims the online retailer reached a settlement with a nonprofit that filed a complaint, alleging the products violated state animal welfare laws that protect horses. Amazon denied wrongdoing and disputed the allegations. Still, it agreed to block sales of ejiao, a traditional Chinese medicine made from donkey skin, in the Golden State.
The Center for Contemporary Equine Studies, an organization dedicated to the protection of horses, filed the complaint in February. It accused Amazon of violating California's Law Prohibiting the Slaughter of Horses and the Sale of Horse Meat for Human Consumption. The nonprofit argued that donkey products should be classified as horse meat under the language of the law.
Ejiao is a gelatin made from soaked and stewed donkey skins. Devotees believe it treats conditions related to blood circulation, insomnia and dry cough. However, apart from one published study, funded by a manufacturer of ejiao, suggesting that it can be used successfully to treat anemia, scientific research does not appear to support these claims.
According According to the Animal Welfare Institute, the popularity of ejiao is wiping out donkey populations. “Donkeys are stolen, transported long distances without food or water, and killed in inhumane and unsanitary conditions” to meet ejiao demand, the organization wrote. Meanwhile, a report The Donkey Sanctuary, an advocacy group, claims workers in Tanzania beat animals with hammers to meet quotas.
The plaintiff's attorney believes the Amazon settlement sets a precedent for other retailers to cease sales of ejiao in California. “Amazon doesn't settle cases it thinks it can win,” said Corey Page, an attorney at the firm who represented the Center for Contemporary Equine Studies. cabling. “This is a sign that if someone does this, he is doing something illegal. “If a company like Amazon decides it needs to stop shipping products and promoting products that violate California law, then all other retailers should do the same.”
The text of Amazon's agreement reportedly agrees to “use reasonable best efforts” to enact “internal measures” that block ejiao products “so that such products are not available for sale at California addresses.”
When I tried to use an old (but still active, according to USPS) Los Angeles address to purchase an ejiao product called “Ass Hide Glue Lumps” (featured in a previous article) cabling report earlier this year that drew attention to the issue), thwarted the attempt. “Sorry, this item cannot be shipped to the selected address,” the error message said in red letters. “You can change the shipping address or remove the item from your order.”
If you're surprised Amazon sold donkey products in the first place (and still does outside of California), consider other “exotic” meats the retailer offers. These include whole-skin alligator (only $195!), foie gras (duck or goose liver), dried kangaroo meat, and boneless snapping turtle meat.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-will-stop-selling-donkey-skin-gelatin-but-only-in-california-212555337.html?src=rss